“For all workers, the toll of COVID-19 infections and deaths is mounting and will increase even more rapidly as workers return to work without necessary safety and health protections,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka wrote in the letter, which listed dozens of members who have died from the virus. He faulted the agency for not doing more inspections, not issuing citations and releasing only voluntary coronavirus safety guidelines. “Without government oversight and enforcement, too many employers are disregarding safety and health standards,” he wrote.

This has been a month like no other in modern American history. We are in a war against an invisible virus that has required most people to stay home to fight it. With each day of the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have grown increasingly grateful for things we used to take for granted, like grocery workers, without whom we could not meet our most basic needs. Parents have a new appreciation for how complex and demanding teaching is, and for how teachers are helping their children continue learning, stay engaged and stay safe inside during this uneasy time.

The Massachusetts AFL-CIO is proud of everything that the Labor Movement and our community and elected allies are doing to fight for the economic security and public health of union members and the general public during this pandemic.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the entire world are facing uncertain times with the fast spread of COVID-19. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Labor Movement as a whole have a proud history of stepping up and leading on issues surrounding workplace standards to keep hard working men and women safe on the job as well as community standards to keep their families safe at home.